Policy Pulse: November 7, 2025
- ACC-OC
- 10 minutes ago
- 7 min read
On Thursday, November 6, ACC-OC, in partnership with the Orange County Sports Commission and Orange County Business Council, welcomed Orange County Mayors, council members, and city managers to a countywide briefing on the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup and LA 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games. The discussion focused on preparing our communities to maximize the opportunities these global events will bring to our region.
Attendees learned about anticipated local impacts, opportunities for city participation—ranging from hospitality houses and training camps to watch parties and cultural programming—and the importance of establishing a unified countywide approach. The briefing also encouraged cities to designate a point of contact to partner directly with the Orange County Sports Commission as planning progresses.
Following the presentation, city leaders enjoyed light refreshments and networking, continuing conversations on collaboration, community engagement, and regional economic benefit. Together, we can ensure Orange County speaks with one voice, captures the full benefits of these global events, and leaves a lasting legacy for our communities.
This week, ACC-OC Director of Member Services Kathryn Morrison attended the Small-Scale Housing Summit hosted by Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, joining county agencies, nonprofit partners, and community stakeholders for a discussion on approaches and partnerships related to small-scale housing solutions in Orange County. The conversation highlighted innovative strategies being explored across the region, as well as the importance of collaboration across jurisdictions. ACC-OC appreciated the opportunity to listen, engage, and ensure that the perspectives of our member cities remain part of regional dialogue as housing and community development conversations continue.
Orange County Regional Holiday Mixer
Join ACC-OC, the League of California Cities OC Division, OCBC, and OC Tax for this year’s Annual Holiday Mixer — proudly sponsored by West Coast Arborists, Jacob Green & Associates, Cityside Fiber, Woodruff & Smart, Kosmont Companies, and Jamboree!
ACC-OC is proud to serve as the SoCalGas Regional Energy Pathways Program Ambassador for Orange County, connecting cities and public sector organizations with energy-saving opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
Through SoCalGas initiatives such as the Regional Energy Pathways (REP) Program and the Statewide Water Infrastructure and System Efficiency (WISE™) Program, eligible agencies can benefit from expert guidance, project support, and valuable financial incentives.
Program Highlights
Regional Energy Pathways (REP) Program
No-cost energy assessments to identify savings opportunities
Financial support for energy-efficient upgrades
Project management assistance and on-bill financing
Whole-facility energy audits and no-cost measures such as insulation, low-flow fixtures, and kitchen equipment improvements
Statewide WISE™ Program
Rebates for energy-efficient water and wastewater system improvements
Eligible measures include high-efficiency pump upgrades, VFD installations, boiler replacements, and insulation improvements
Available to water and wastewater pumping customers within PG&E, SCE, SoCalGas, and SDG&E territories
To learn more about how your city or organization can benefit, contact Marlene Barraza (mbarraza@accoc.org) to schedule a meeting or ask questions!
Statewide WISE Program
Cityside Fiber
Join Cityside Fiber on Thursday, November 20, to celebrate the groundbreaking of their expansion to bring 100% fiber-optic internet to the community.
Details:
Date: Thursday, November 20, 2025
Time: 10:00 – 11:30 AM
Location: Laguna Hills Community Center, Laguna Hills
Cityside Fiber is proud to invest in Laguna Hills' digital future and can’t wait to celebrate this milestone with our community!
City of Los Alamitos
The City of Los Alamitos is pleased to invite you to attend the Good Evening, Los Alamitos event on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at the Los Alamitos Community Center (10911 Oak Street, Los Alamitos, 90720), beginning at 6:30 p.m.
This annual event will highlight the City’s accomplishments over the past year, share exciting initiatives for the year ahead, unveil the citywide EV transportation program, and celebrate the strong partnerships that make Los Alamitos a vibrant and connected community.
Kindly RSVP by Friday, December 5, to Gabriela Martinez, Department Secretary at Gmartinez@cityoflosalamitos.org to confirm your attendance.
Waste Management
Join Waste Management as they celebrate the reopening of its newly retrofitted, state-of-the-art recycling facility in Orange. The $28 million investment is part of WM’s broader commitment to reinvest more than $3 billion between 2022–2025 in recycling and renewable energy infrastructure. This facility is one of three WM State-of-the-Art (SOTA) recycling centers in Southern California designed to stay ahead of California’s evolving recycling landscape by dramatically increasing recycling capture and processing efficiency.
Email Muyisa Kasomo to RSVP: mkasomo@wm.com
Goodwill OC
Join Goodwill OC for the GRAND OPENING of their brand-new Foothill Ranch location, their 25th retail store and donation center on Thursday, November 13, at 8:45 a.m. for a ribbon-cutting celebration!
Get ready for gift cards, swag, and PepsiCo giveaways, and a whole lot of GOOD! Keep an eye out for what surprises they have in store!
With every store opening, we create new jobs, new training opportunities, and new ways to support our mission of helping people achieve independence through sustainable career pathways.
The Mission Continues
Join The Mission Continues (TMC) for a special Platoon Event as we come together to revitalize the playground at Magnolia Science Academy! Our team will be restoring and enhancing the play space while adding much-needed shade, ensuring students have a safe, fun, and comfortable place to learn, play, and grow. This project is part of our ongoing commitment to serve the community and create lasting impact
—driven by the dedication of our nation’s veterans and local volunteers.
Lend a hand. Build connections. Make a difference.
CalOptima Health
CalOptima Health will add its 10th health network by partnering with Providence, marking a significant step in strengthening access to health care services for Medi-Cal members in Orange County. Effective November 1, the partnership will provide enhanced care coordination and comprehensive health and wellness services for thousands of Medi-Cal members.
CalOptima Health’s Board of Directors approved the Shared Risk Group (SRG) agreement with Providence during its September 4, 2025, meeting. Under this arrangement, Providence will be responsible for physician services, including medical authorizations, claims, diagnostic and prevention services, while CalOptima Health will be responsible for hospital-related services, behavioral health and transplants.
City of Westminster
Join City of Westminster at the ribbon cutting ceremony for our brand-new playground, featuring "Sea Loving Dreams" at Bolsa Chica Park. From tall towers to swings, this ocean adventure themed playground has something for all ages.
Be among the first to experience the excitement and dive into fun right here in Westminster!
Stay and play after the Ribbon Cutting, join our Parks Program for free fun following the ceremony. we can't wait to see you there!
Bolsa Chica Park Playground - Tuesday, November 18 at 2:30pm
OC Forum
Join OC Forum for their final program of the year – their Signature Housing Luncheon on Thursday, November 13th – featuring an in-depth conversation on different scales of innovative housing development. This program will bring together leading voices from Lowe, SDRE, Intracorp Homes, and Jamboree Housing to explore creative solutions addressing Orange County’s diverse housing.
City of Stanton
The City of Stanton’s Senior Home Grant Program helps eligible senior homeowners make essential health, safety, and accessibility improvements. Grants of up to 9,000 dollars per household are available with no repayment or lien required.
Housing and Homeless Incentive Program (HHIP) Round 5 Notice of Funding Opportunity
CalAIM
The CalOptima Health's Housing and Homeless Incentive Program (HHIP) Round 5 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) will be released on Monday, November 11, 2025. This funding opportunity supports the development or enhancement of permanent, affordable housing solutions for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness in Orange County.
The materials and application portal link will be available on the CalAIM webpage. All applications must be submitted by Friday, December 19, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. PST.
Providers interested in responding are encouraged to attend CalOptima Health's virtual bidder’s conference to receive an overview of the funding opportunity.
Virtual Bidder's Conference Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2025, 1:00 p.m. PST
Proposal Submission Deadline: Friday, December 19, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. PST
Please Contact CalOptima Grants Management with any questions at:
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
FY 2026 Brownfield Grant Opportunities
OCCOG’s Project Management Partner, Montrose Environmental, is available to support local agencies with potential grant opportunities as part of the upcoming Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 EPA Brownfield Grants. The menu of available grants can be found at https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/marc-grant-application-resources. This will be the last grant competition with 400% more funding via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and no matching funds are required.
Eligible brownfield projects could include properties with older structures (e.g., built before the 1980s), which may contain regulated building materials (e.g. – lead-based paints, asbestos and PCBs) and properties with soil, groundwater and/or surface waters impacted with petroleum and/or hazardous substances (e.g. – former auto repair/gas stations, illicit dump sites, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities). Eligible applicants include cities, land clearance authorities, redevelopment agencies, regional councils, special districts, tribes, and non-profit organizations.
Brownfield grant types include:
Community-Wide Assessment: Up to $2M for Tribal applicants; used to complete a wide range of activities, including Phase I/II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs), cleanup/restoration/reuse plans. Funding can be used to support these activities on numerous sites over a 4–5-year grant implementation period. Funding is not limited to properties you already own and can be used to support land acquisition opportunities.
Cleanup: Up to $4M; used to complete remediation and restoration of one or more brownfield-impacted properties that you own.
Multi-Purpose: Up to $1M; used to complete a combination of assessment, cleanup, and reuse planning activities on one or more brownfield-impacted properties.
Guidelines are due to be issued shortly, with grant applications anticipated for November. Award announcements are scheduled to be made in May 2026, with implementation beginning in October 2026.
Please contact Chris Gdak at Montrose Environmental at cgdak@montrose-env.com or (425) 760-1342 for more details.
Department of Housing and Community Development
Permanent Local Housing Allocation/ 2023 PLHA NOFA
This program provides long-term funding to support affordable housing, homeless prevention programs, and other housing-related projects. Funds are allocated based on California jurisdictions’ housing needs.
Application Deadline: June 30, 2027
Samueli Foundation
LFI and Leadership Accelerator Program
The Leading for Impact (LFI) and Leadership Accelerator program, run by the renowned Bridgespan Group, provides scholarship-supported access to strategic coaching, leadership development and peer-learning opportunities for 100 nonprofit executive teams. Through a mix of classroom workshops, team-led projects and executive coaching, LFI equips leaders with the skills and tools to strengthen their organizations, drive long-term sustainability and increase their community impact. Participating organizations contribute a portion of the program cost, ensuring shared investment in their growth and success.
Application Deadline: December 31, 2025
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